Chapter 56 - Do Not Enter

Eventually, Delaney pulled herself up from the floor. She didn't call for Ivy, not up to dealing with the maid. Instead, she managed to work her way out of her dress herself and then pulled the clips from her hair.  Outside, rain pelted the windows, thunder and lightning crashed in the sky.

Exhausted, she crawled into bed and curled up, a tear or two still occasionally making their way down her cheeks. Her mind still churned through everything that had happened but eventually, her tiredness won out and she fell asleep.

Delaney had not had many dream-filled nights since her wedding but as she slept during the storm, her mind swirled with images of Vincent.

She saw him again in the hospital bed writhing in pain, angry, and yelling at her. He was in the darkness behind her club, heart breaking as she told him she didn't want to marry him. They were shouting at each other before she slapped him and ran.

At last, her dream turned to him fighting the wolves.  Except he wasn't frightening to her anymore.  Now, he was the man she cared about.

And this time the wolves didn't stop coming.  More and more poured from the woods.  He fought to keep up, blade flashing through the air.  The wolves were overwhelming him!  Blood covered the ground!  He fell beneath them!  He was crying out!

Delaney gasped and shot upright in bed.  Her heart was racing and she looked all around her wildly, expecting to see wolves and blood.

Thunder crashed overhead and lightning flashed, lighting up her room. Delaney sank back against her pillows and closed her eyes. It was just a nightmare. She was in her own bedroom.

But it had felt so real! She could have sworn she was back in the carriage again watching Vincent fight. She could've sworn she'd heard him shouting.

Just then she heard something that made her sit up again.  Sitting still, she waited to see if the sound would come again or if she'd only imagined it.

Then it came again though, louder this time.  It was the sound of Vincent shouting.  That part hadn't been a dream after all.

Delaney listened hard, trying to tell what he was saying but she couldn't make it out.  She slipped from her bed and tiptoed to the wall that separated their rooms.  She couldn't hear him well enough over the rain and thunder.

Not knowing what to do, she paced back and forth in front of her fireplace.  When she heard what sounded like glass shattering against the wall, she decided she couldn't wait any longer.  Pulling on her robe she gathered her courage before opening her bedroom door and stepping out.

In the hallway, she pulled her robe tighter around her when she saw there were at least half a dozen servants, mostly men, gathered in front of Vincent's door.  She heard more shouting and crashing from inside.

Looking around in apprehension, she saw a familiar face who'd now seen her too.

"What's going on?" she whispered to Harris as the man stepped quickly to her.

"You should go back to your room my Lady," he looked worriedly from her to the open bedroom door and back, "Vince-er-Lord Adair wouldn't want you to see him like this."

"Like what?" she questioned, trying to step around him.

"He's drunk my Lady," Ivy whimpered, rushing to Delaney's side, eyes wide in fear, "He's drunk and crazy and he's going to kill Lord Miles!"

"What?" Delaney gasped, her eyes flying to Harris in fear.

"No!  No he's not," he glared at Ivy, "Lord Miles knows what he's doing.  You're not even supposed to be here!"

"I was going to check on Lady Adair," Ivy protested with a childish pout.

"At this time of night?" Harris hissed, "You were being nosey trying to spy on Lord Adair so you had something to gossip about."

Ivy opened her mouth to argue again but Delaney cut her off.  "That's enough," she snapped at the girl, "Go to bed.  Harris is right.  If I had needed you it would've been at least an hour ago when I went to bed."

"But my Lady!" she whined.

"Go Ivy," Delaney raised her voice and pointed in the direction of the servants quarters.  The girl crossed her arms and stormed off like a child throwing a tantrum.

"I've had about enough of her," Harris mumbled before seeing Delaney look at him, "Sorry my Lady."

"It's quite alright," Delaney smirked, "I've felt the same."

Just then a bottle came flying from the bedroom door and the servants standing in front of it ducked.  The bottle exploded in pieces of glass when it hit the stone.

"Get out!" Delaney heard Vincent shout now, the first words she'd been able to understand.

With a look of panic, Harris rushed forward and caught Miles who stumble backward out of the room.  Delaney hurried for her brother-in-law until she noticed what he had in his hand and came to a halt a few steps from him.

"Miles," she squeaked, "Why do you have a sword?"

Panting, Miles turned to look at her and immediately pushed away from Harris and spun on him.

"Why is she here," he whispered in annoyance," You know he wouldn't want her here."

"She-she just came out," Harris insisted, "I told her he wouldn't want her to..."

He was cut off by a loud, tormented yell from Vincent.  Delaney felt like it stabbed her heart and moved for the door.

"Delaney you can't," Miles dropped his sword and grabbed her around the waist as it clattered to the floor.

"Get off of me," she flung herself around trying to break free of his arms, "Get off of me I want to see him!"

"You can't go in there," Miles drug her backward as the remaining servants watched on in shock, "He's not in his right mind Delaney!  It's not safe."

"What are you talking about?" she finally jerked herself free, "They said he's been drinking that's all.  He's not going to hurt me!  Drunk or not."

"He's not just drunk he's..." Miles hesitated, frowning as if he were trying to put together the right words.  "The thunder and lightning.  The storm.  They... they play games with his head.  If he's asleep and he starts to hear them I guess his mind thinks he's back in the war or something.  He thinks he's in danger.  You can't get through to him."

Suddenly Delaney understood why Miles was here.

"You knew this was going to happen," she whispered, "That's why you came.  Vincent said you were worried he'd hurt me."

Miles nodded, frowning at her, "He doesn't always know what's happening and who we are.  Sometimes he thinks we're the enemy."

The same tortured sound came from the room again and more shattering glass.  Delaney felt her heart breaking for him and moved towards the door a step but Miles was quick.  He was in front of her before she could get close.

"You can't," he said sternly, "If he hurt you he'd never forgive himself.  Or me!"

Thunder shook the building and more noise came from the bedroom.  Delaney moved to push by Miles but he grabbed her arm in a vice-like grip.

"I'm going to him Miles.  I can't just sit here and listen while he's confused and hurting!"

"He'll hurt you!"

"No he won't!"

Delaney shoved Miles back as hard as she could.  He stumbled backward and tripped on the sword he had dropped earlier and not retrieved, causing him to flail and fall.  Even Harris moved to try to catch her but Delaney was quicker.

She hurried the first few steps into his room until she felt safe no one would try to grab her and drag her back out.  After those steps though she came to a halt and looked in shock around the room.

There was broken glass on the floor here and there where he'd thrown bottles.  What was left of a chair sat in a pile against a wall where he must have smashed it.  The other she could see had made it into the fireplace where it was slowly burning.

The curtains were torn down or slashed where they were attacked with a sword.  One of the lovely couches also had slashes across it from a blade assault.  The room smelled of smoke and alcohol.

In the far corner of the room was the person responsible for all the destruction.

Vincent stood in only his breeches and boots with one hand flat against the stone wall, keeping him propped up, the other hanging at his side with what must have been the most deadly blade Delaney had ever seen.

His back was to her and she could see the red scars on the arm that was holding him up and the ones running over his neck and disappearing into the hairline on the back of his head.  With his head hanging low, his hair looked damp with sweat and his skin glistened with it.

Delaney bit her lip and couldn't stop herself from looking at him in awe.  He was so tall and lean and muscular.  He was breathing heavily which seemed to only draw more attention to the muscle across his back and shoulders.

Catching herself staring at him she blushed deep red, feeling the heat on her cheeks and chest.  She looked away, down towards the floor where she eased forward on slippered feet, afraid to step on glass.

Suddenly thunder shook the manor again and the wind changed, sending the rain to pound loudly against the windows.  Vincent jumped and jerked upright with a strange, panicked noise.  He raised his sword and spun around.

His eyes landed on Delaney and she froze.  He looked terrified and confused.  His breath was coming quicker and his scars were almost blood red.  He looked feral.

At one time, seeing him like this would have terrified Delaney and sent her running from the room or even the manor.  But now something had changed in her.  Seeing him now she felt her heart breaking for him and longed to go to him.

Looking at his eyes though she saw he was agitated and she wondered if she had been stupid for not listening to Miles.  What if he didn't recognize her in this state?  If he came at her with that sword there would be nothing she could do.  He would kill her.

She swallowed hard and felt her heart racing in her chest.  It was too late.  She had to do something.

"Vincent?" she spoke softly.

He didn't respond and she wondered if he'd heard her.

She opened her mouth to try again but at that moment thunder crashed above them again and lightning lit up the room.  With his sword raised, Vincent suddenly lunged towards her.

Frozen in fear, Delaney could only look up at him. He was upon her.